COVENTRY City manager Andy Thorn praised the determination of his players after they continued their unbeaten start to pre-season with a narrow win over Blue Square Premier outfit Kettering Town.

Gary McSheffrey scored the only goal in an even game five minutes into the second half when he nodded home from close range to give City the edge in what was a close game.

It would not have been hard on the Sky Blues for them to go in one down at half-time but Thorn asked for more from his players at the break and he got it.

After the goal the result never looked in doubt and attention now turns to League One newboys Chesterfield, who Coventry face on Tuesday as they step up preparations for their championship campaign.

“We’re pleased with a win but as I have said all season it is about performances and how we progress,” said Thorn.

“We gave ourselves a good test because I didn’t feel we were quite right today but we put that right and got the response I wanted in the first 15 minutes of the second half so I was pleased.

“We needed a game like that.”

Thorn named the same side that comfortably swept aside Hinckley United in midweek and they started in much the same vain. Left-back Chris Hussey set off on an attacking run straight from the kick-off and set up a good chance for Lukas Jutkiewicz who was only denied by a fine block by Poppies centre-half Nathan Koo-Boothe.

The Sky Blues dominated possession for much of the first half but as they struggled to find a way through the hosts grew in confidence and City’s new stopper Joe Murphy was called into action on more than one occasion. However it was his opposite number Luarie Walker who produced the best save of the half when he dived acrobatically to his left to turn Hussey’s 22-yard free-kick onto the crossbar. Thorn’s men emerged with added hunger after the break and took the lead when McSheffrey turned home Richard Keogh’s header back across goal from a David Bell corner.

Coventry made wholesale changes on the hour mark and never looked in danger of relinquishing their slender lead but left the Elgoods Brewery Arena having been given a good test.